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Wednesday, September 3, 2008

Tyler Perry Sightings, Zombie Love and African American Slackers

Tyler Perry's The Family That Preys

Last night was the sneak peak screening of Tyler Perry's The Family that Preys. The man's fan base is as fanatical as a Comic-Con audience and 10 times as loyal, and from the audience reaction coming out of the theater, he's once again earned it.

And, for those who missed it, Mr. Madea himself was there to introduce the film. Not to one theater, but to three packed theaters, including one that was for the Cast and Crew. I had a sneaking suspicion the man was in the house when I saw Kenny Ernestes of Regal Cinema heading for the theater's green room with a large bowl of ice.

Perry bounced from theater to theater to gage audience reaction once the three prints got fired up. My sister, who had gotten turned around about a thousand times getting to the theater, was sitting way in the back row when she was asked if she and a few other folks would give up their seats for Perry. I'm trying to make this story as amusing as the way she told, but I'm failing miserably. If she happens to be with me at a screening again, I'll point her out and let her do the story justice.

The truly funny story is from Atlanta Film Festival member Deronte and his wife Kim--which is ironically the name of my sister. Apparently, security was asking people to predictably move to the center so they could make room for the mass of folks still coming into the theater. Without any prompting, one woman loudly declared that the empty seats she had were for her children who were at the concession stand. Security said they weren't addressing her, to which the woman loudly replied with a "well I'm just telling you."

A few minutes later, security came back and again, without any prompting the woman adamantly said her children were at the concession stand. That's when security had to tell her that, ma'am, there's only 4 people at the concession stand and ain't none of them her children. Unsurprisingly, the story ended with a cop escorting the woman out.

Rule number one when it comes to security or the police. Don't offer up anything that they didn't ask for. It just looks suspicious.

Dance of the Dead

Easily the most raucously audience-pleasing movie of the fest, Dance of the Dead deserves to be a monster break-out hit on DVD (it’s inexplicably bypassing a theatrical release) and is sure to cement Gregg Bishop as a major talent to watch. Completely unmissable and utterly awesome in every way, Dance of the Dead is hands-down the best comedy horror movie in recent years. - Aintitcool.com

So Dance of the Dead continues to amaze and astonish, now doing that at FrightFest over in the UK. Okay folks, somebody give Gregg Bishop an amazing budget and bring him back to the A so he can shoot films all year long.

Somebodies

It's a coming folks. Hadjii's show premieres next week on Monday, Sept.9 and it's already got a rave from the AP.

"Somebodies" (BET, Sept. 9). BET's first scripted series, this half-hour comedy is the brainchild of one-named, multitalented Hadjii, the writer-filmmaker-actor who plays an easygoing college student in no hurry to do much of anything — least of all graduate. Filmed on location in Athens, Ga., which both Hadjii and the University of Georgia call home, "Somebodies" has a sparkling look and a cast of refreshing new faces. Its lessons in self-motivation should tickle anyone who ever had a little too much fun matriculating. - AP

It's a rave that also puts him in the same steed as ex-Atlantan Alan Ball whose True Blood is airing on HBO and also got tagged as a can't miss for this fall. Hopefully we'll see Somebodieslive a long and happy life, eventually finding syndication a warm snug fit.

Yep, yep. Atlanta filmmaking is kicking all manners of ass. And I haven't gotten to Eric Mofford's work, using the Red Camera on EA's Need For Speed series.